Throughout Alabama, property owners owe a duty of care to those who visit their property to maintain it safely. If you should sustain a severe injury on someone else’s property because of a hazardous condition, you may have grounds for legal action. This is not to say that you can sue the property owner any time you get hurt. A Mobile Premises Liability Lawyer at Mezrano Law Firm can help.
Whether participating in the annual Mardi Gras festivities, visiting Fort Conde, touring Mobile Bay, or visiting Forest Gump’s hometown of Bayou La Batre, there are many public and private venues worth visiting throughout the Mobile, Alabama area.
At Mezrano Law Firm, we will consult with you at no charge about your injury, determine whether it qualifies as premises liability and advise you on your legal options. You will not pay attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for you.
The term “premises liability” is a legal term that describes some of the most popular types of personal injury cases. A customer or client enters the property and sustains an injury because of the property owner’s failure to maintain the parcel safely for visitors. The following are some examples of premises liability accidents:
Slip and fall accidents
Slash and fall accidents are the most common type of personal injury cases, and they can happen anywhere. A customer might catch their foot on uneven flooring; there could be debris on the ground, rough pavement in a parking lot, or any other negligent condition. Had it been corrected, the injury might not have occurred. If you or a loved one have been involved in a truck accident, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer.
Accidents at a resort or hotel
Whether you stay in a hotel for business or vacation, you would expect to find it safe, but people are permanently injured in hotels. Sometimes decks collapse, there are swimming pool accidents, and guests can be assaulted or robbed. If what caused the injury could have been prevented, such as inadequate lighting, negligent security, electrical shock, or fire, the injured guest may have grounds for legal action against the hotel.
Dog bites
If you are visiting your neighbor and their dog attacks you, it falls under premises liability, and you could seek compensation under their homeowners’ policy.
Big box stores and shopping mall accidents
You are standing in an aisle at a warehouse store, reaching up for an item, and something big falls on you from above your head. Elevator or escalator accidents are considered preventable premises liability issues.
Construction site accidents
Building construction and road construction sites are a hotbed for accidents and injuries. Foreman must carefully cordon off construction areas so pedestrians can’t wander into a safety hazard.
Parking lot accidents
The pavement in extensive commercial parking areas is not always maintained as it should be, which allows customers to become injured from tripping in a pothole; inadequate lighting provides shadows where would-be assailants lurk and other hazards which can cause serious injuries.
Any of these types of accidents could occur in any private or public space or venue, such as:
Alabama follows the legal principle of “pure” contributory negligence, which prevents the injured person from recovering compensation if their negligence contributed to their injury. If the injured person can be proven to be even 1% at fault in causing the damage, they are barred from recovering compensation.
In a premises liability case, we will use the example of an injured person whose neighbor’s dog bit. However, the wounded person was seen taunting and teasing the dog before it bit them. The defendant could claim that the dog would never have bitten the plaintiff had they not teased and taunted the dog. If the jury agrees, the plaintiff will walk away empty-handed despite their extensive injuries.
Alabama is the only state in the United States which completely bars recovery if the plaintiff can be proven to have any degree of fault in causing their injury.
There are several types of injuries that a person could sustain in a premises liability accident, including:
Premises liability cases can be challenging to prove. In Alabama, there is always the specter of contributory negligence that the defendant can use to confirm that the plaintiff was, in some part, responsible for their injuries. And, just because a patron was injured while on someone else’s property, it does not mean that the property owner’s negligence was the cause of the injury.
If your injury took place on government property, there is an entirely different process for pursuing compensation from the government when a citizen is injured because of the negligence of a public employee. City, County, and state governments have processes and deadlines for filing injury claims. We know from experience how to recover compensation from the government for you.
At Mezrano Law firm, a Mobile premises liability lawyer has over 40 years of combined legal experience helping clients recover the compensation they need for their injuries to return to their lives. We investigate the incident, gather evidence and prepare a solid case to win your compensation.
With Mezrano Law Firm, you never need to worry about paying in advance for legal services because we take injury cases on contingency. Our attorney fees are a percentage of your settlement or jury verdict. Our Mobile premises liability lawyers advance the costs to pursue your case, which gives you the benefit of having access to experienced legal counsel without the need to pay for it in advance.
If you have sustained a severe injury on someone else’s property, you can schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
When a property owner’s negligence is the cause of your injury, the trusted Mobile premises liability lawyers at Mezrano Law Firm are here to fight for compensation for you.